Elimination Chamber 2019
Elimination Chamber 2019 was a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event and WWE Network event produced by WWE for the Raw and SmackDown brands. It took place on February 17, 2019 at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas. It was the ninth event under the Elimination Chamber chronology. Seven matches were contested at the event, including one on the pre-show. In the main event, Daniel Bryan defeated AJ Styles, Samoa Joe, Kofi Kingston, Randy Orton, and Jeff Hardy in an Elimination Chamber match to retain the WWE Championship. On the undercard, The Boss 'N' Hug Connection (Bayley and Sasha Banks) won a women's tag team Elimination Chamber match to become the inaugural holders of the WWE Women's Tag Team Championship, Finn Bálor defeated Bobby Lashley and Lio Rush in a 2-on-1 handicap match to win the Intercontinental Championship, and Ronda Rousey defeated Ruby Riott to retain the Raw Women's Championship. Background Elimination Chamber featured professional wrestling matches that involved different wrestlers from pre-existing feuds, plots, and storylines that played out on WWE's primary television programs. Wrestlers portrayed villains or heroes as they followed a series of events that built tension and culminated in a wrestling match or series of matches. The card will be highlighted by two Elimination Chamber matches, one of which will be the first to involve women. On the December 24, 2018, episode of Raw, WWE Chairman Vince McMahon announced that a new WWE Women's Tag Team Championship would be introduced in 2019. On the January 14, 2019, episode, on her segment "A Moment of Bliss", Alexa Bliss unveiled the championship belts and announced that the inaugural champions would be determined at Elimination Chamber in a tag team Elimination Chamber match, featuring three teams from Raw and three teams from SmackDown, making the championship a dual-branded championship. At the Royal Rumble, The Miz and Shane McMahon defeated The Bar (Cesaro and Sheamus) to win the SmackDown Tag Team Championship. On the following episode of SmackDown, The Usos (Jey Uso and Jimmy Uso) defeated The Bar, The New Day (represented by Big E and Kofi Kingston) and Heavy Machinery (Otis Dozovic and Tucker Knight) to earn a championship match at Elimination Chamber. At the Royal Rumble, Daniel Bryan retained the WWE Championship against AJ Styles with help from the returning Erick Rowan. On the following episode of SmackDown, Bryan and Rowan threw the standard leather-bound title belt with metal plates in a garbage can and introduced a new custom belt made from hemp and wood. Styles then confronted Bryan, followed by Randy Orton, Samoa Joe, Jeff Hardy, and Mustafa Ali. After an ensuing brawl, WWE Chief Operating Officer Triple H scheduled Bryan to defend the championship against Styles, Joe, Hardy, Orton, and Ali in an Elimination Chamber match at the pay-per-view. On the Royal Rumble pre-show, Buddy Murphy retained the WWE Cruiserweight Championship by defeating Kalisto, Akira Tozawa, and Hideo Itami in a fatal four-way match. On the February 5, 2019 episode of 205 Live, Tozawa defeated Cedric Alexander, Lio Rush, and Humberto Carrillo in a fatal four-way elimination match to earn another championship match against Murphy at Elimination Chamber. On the February 4 episode of Raw, Raw Women's Champion Ronda Rousey issued an open challenge for the title. The Riott Squad (Ruby Riott, Liv Morgan, and Sarah Logan) came out, and Morgan accepted the challenge, but was defeated. Immediately after, Logan stepped up, but was also defeated. Riott did not attempt to challenge Rousey and instead retreated with her Squad. In a backstage segment, Riott said she was ensuring that her teammates were okay and claimed she could defeat Rousey at anytime. Later, it was revealed that Rousey would defend her championship against Ruby Riott at Elimination Chamber. On the January 28 episode of Raw, while Finn Bálor was addressing his loss to Universal Champion Brock Lesnar at the Royal Rumble, he was interrupted by Intercontinental Champion Bobby Lashley and his manager Lio Rush. Lashley claimed that he was better than Lesnar and then attacked Bálor. The following week, Bálor was scheduled to face Lashley, but Lashley instead had Bálor face Rush. Lashley stated that depending on Bálor's performance, he would consider giving him a title shot, but before the match could begin, Lashley attacked Bálor. Despite this, Bálor defeated Rush. Bálor was then scheduled to face both Lashley and Rush in a handicap match at Elimination Chamber with Lashley's Intercontinental Championship on the line. During the second half of 2018, Baron Corbin served as the Acting Raw General Manager. During this time, Braun Strowman was on the receiving end of his authority, including Corbin costing Strowman the Universal Championship at Crown Jewel. At TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs, Strowman defeated Corbin in the titular match, thus stripping Corbin of his authoritative power and earning another Universal Championship match at the Royal Rumble. However, Corbin also caused Strowman to lose this title opportunity. On the January 14 episode of Raw, Corbin confronted Strowman and insulted him, leading to a chase to the parking area where Corbin hid in a limousine. Strowman shattered the glass and broke the door off, only for Vince McMahon to appear, revealing that it was his limo. Mr. McMahon then fined Strowman $100,000. Strowman argued with Mr. McMahon, who then cancelled his championship match. An angry Strowman proceeded to flip over the limo. Strowman and Corbin continued going at each other over the next couple of weeks and a no disqualification match between the two was scheduled for Elimination Chamber. On the Royal Rumble pre-show, Buddy Murphy defeated Kalisto, Akira Tozawa, and Hideo Itami in a fatal four-way match to retain the WWE Cruiserweight Championship.On the February 5, 2019, episode of 205 Live, Tozawa defeated Cedric Alexander, Lio Rush, and Humberto Carrillo in a fatal four-way elimination match to earn another championship match against Murphy on the Elimination Chamber pre-show. Pre-show During the pre-show, Buddy Murphy defended the WWE Cruiserweight Championship against Akira Tozawa. In the climax, Murphy performed Murphy's Law on Tozawa to retain the title. Preliminary matches Main event Match Preview Results ; ; *Pre-Show: Buddy Murphy © defeated Akira Tozawa to retain the WWE Cruiserweight Championship (13:25) *Boss 'n' Hug Connection (Bayley & Sasha Banks) defeated Nia Jax & Tamina, Mandy Rose & Sonya Deville, The Riott Squad (Liv Morgan & Sarah Logan), The IIconics (Billie Kay & Peyton Royce) and Naomi & Carmella in a Tag team Elimination Chamber match to become the inaugural WWE Women's Tag Team Champions (32:54) *The Usos (Jey Uso & Jimmy Uso) defeated The Miz & Shane McMahon © to win the WWE SmackDown Tag Team Championship (14:10) *Finn Bálor defeated Bobby Lashley © & Lio Rush in a Handicap match to win the WWE Intercontinental Championship (9:30) *Ronda Rousey © defeated Ruby Riott to retain the WWE Raw Women's Championship (1:40) *Baron Corbin defeated Braun Strowman in a No Disqualification Match (10:50) *Daniel Bryan © defeated AJ Styles, Jeff Hardy, Kofi Kingston, Randy Orton and Samoa Joe in an Elimination Chamber match to retain the WWE Championship (36:40) Women's Tag Team Championship Elimination Chamber match WWE Championship Elimination Chamber match Other on-screen talent Also See *List of WWE pay-per-view events *World Wrestling Entertainment/Event history *Elimination Chamber *Event gallery DVD release * [ on DVD] External links * Official Website * Kickoff Show on WWE Network * on WWE Network * Kickoff Show at CAGEMATCH.net * at CAGEMATCH.net